Thousands of children have benefited from their participation in the art programs run by the Michener Art Museum. They will proudly display their work from June 7 through June 27, in the museum’s annual June Balloon. Admission is free to the Children’s Gallery throughout the exhibit.
One of three exhibits held during the year specifically to highlight children’s artwork, June Balloon has grown in popularity over the eight years it has been presented. The Children’s Gallery is a natural outreach program for the museum, a result of the classes for young people held at the museum as well as in the community.
“Children and their work are acknowledged by their family and the community in a public way, which is great for them and for the museum,” says Susan Sherman, Children’s Gallery coordinator. “Our children really are the future. There will be no museums in years to come if young people aren’t brought in now, and we love their positive attitude for art and museums.”
Children aged three through six participate in the weekly Learning to Look & Listen classes, which they attend with a parent or caregiver. While visiting the galleries they study works of art and engage in inquiry-based gallery learning activities.
The Michener also offers classes for kids from age six to nine and from ten to 15, in which they expand their creativity, build a strong vocabulary of art skills, explore art media and tools, use their imagination, and explore the museum exhibitions.
“Our classes are age-appropriate, fun, and challenging,” explains Ruth Anderson, the Assistant Curator of Education. “For example, we just finished a marionette building class, in which the students built operating marionettes based on characters from mythology. This summer we will feature advertising and 3D design classes in addition to Drawing and Painting, anime, en plein air painting and programs geared specifically to five year olds.”
Outreach programs continue in several locations throughout the school year. The Art on the Move/Art Speaks program incorporates traveling art exhibits with interdisciplinary curriculum materials for elementary through high school students. Arts First Steps invites area preschools to collaborate with museum visits and off site art studio programs. ArtReach brings a poet/storyteller to middle school students in Upper Bucks County, producing grade level poetry anthologies by over 500 students. Arts Enrichment programs hosted by area elementary schools integrate after school arts programs with the museum’s collections
Last year, 300 works of student art were exhibited, including two-dimensional and three-dimensional works in ceramics, books of poetry, collages, prints, watercolors, acrylics, temper paint, multi media, and puppets. The exhibition gets bigger and bigger every year.
June Balloon is the kick-off to the Michener Museum’s fantastic summer camp season. Classes for artists age 3 through 18 run on site and offsite from June 22 through August 21.
An opening reception will be held Sunday, June 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. and includes refreshments, art activities and musical entertainment for the whole family. The event is free and open to the general public.
Annual support for the Michener Art Museum is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Bucks County Commissioners and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
The James A. Michener Art Museum is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania region. In addition to hosting a changing schedule of exhibitions from around the country, the Museum is home to the largest public collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings. The Museum offers a diverse program of educational activities that seek to develop a lifelong involvement in the arts. The Museum is located at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown. For current Museum hours and admission information, visit our website at www.MichenerArtMuseum.org or call the main phone number: (215) 340-9800. Group Tours: extension 117 / School Tours: extension 124 / Summer Camps: extension 126.
